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February 29, 2004
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 Israel Proposes to Washington "More Logical, Shorter" Separation Fence Route by Aluf Benn
Israel has submitted to the U.S. government a proposed revised route of the separation fence that is "more logical and shorter," Israeli officials said this weekend. Israeli officials explained that the country is "very seriously" examining the possibility of re-routing the fence. The sources said that the main revisions to the original fence route involve canceling "finger" intrusions deep into Palestinian territories. (Ha'aretz)
See also Israel High Court Suspends Construction of Security Fence at Bidu by Yaakov Katz (Jerusalem Post)
Pro-Israel Protesters Don't All Support the Fence Route by Charlotte Halle
Not all the Israeli students who flew to The Hague this week to defend Israel's case support the current route of the West Bank separation fence. According to American philanthropist Joey Low, some of the 55 Israeli students he flew to The Hague this week would like to see it follow the 1967 borders more closely. "We didn't see our presence there as supporting the fence or the Israeli government," Low said. "But we do support Israel's right to protect itself and how it does that should be an internal Israeli issue," he said. (Ha'aretz)
Israelis and Palestinians Launch One Voice Peace Initiative
The grassroots OneVoice peace initiative was launched in Israel last week in the presence of American actor Jason Alexander. The OneVoice campaign seeks to gauge the feelings of ordinary Palestinians and Israelis on core issues in the conflict through an Internet referendum. "The Israelis and the Palestinians are two incredible nations with a shared history and a bright possibility for the future," Alexander said at a press conference. (Israel21c)
See also "Listen to the People" by Dan Ephron (Newsweek)
 A Fence That Makes Sense by David Makovsky
Israel has approximately 170,000 people living in the 14.5% of the West Bank between the fence and the Green Line. In contrast, there are just 11,000 West Bank Palestinians in this area who will not have direct access to other parts of the West Bank. Are there hardships for those Palestinians? Yes, but they can be minimized by an array of actions now being undertaken, like Israel busing Palestinian kids to school or building new roads. (Los Angeles Times)
See also Suicide Bombers Are Real Barrier to Peace by George Kerevan (Scotsman-UK)
Israel's Sharon is Up to Something in Gaza. But What? by Jonathan Rauch
Sharon is a general, and when a general decides he is in for a long siege, he consolidates his lines. A long siege is what Israel must now prepare for. Israelis, the White House, and more or less all people with eyes in their heads now believe that, as David Makovsky puts it, "So long as Yasser Arafat remains leader of the Palestinians, there is no hope for peace and no hope of partnership." By getting out of Gaza, Sharon can firm up his lines and redeploy his resources. So Israelis are digging in for a long wait. Americans may have to do the same. (National Journal)
UN Request to Court Disregards Israel's Side of the Story by Anne Bayefsky
A November report from UN Secretary General Kofi Annan detailing the harm to Palestinians said to result from Israel's security fence does not describe a single terrorist act against Israelis. The human rights of Israelis are not part of the equation. Israelis are subject to crimes against humanity, attempted genocide, and an effort to accomplish ethnic cleansing. (Chicago Sun-Times)
Anti-Semitism in 3D by Natan Sharansky
Whereas classical anti-Semitism was seen as being aimed at the Jewish religion or the Jewish people, the new anti-Semitism is ostensibly directed against the Jewish state. How do we differentiate legitimate criticism of Israel from anti-Semitism? I propose the 3D test: The first D is the test of demonization. The comparisons of Israelis to Nazis and of the Palestinian refugee camps to Auschwitz can only be considered anti-Semitic. The second D is the test of double standards. For instance, when Israel is singled out by the United Nations for human rights abuses while tried and true abusers like China, Iran, Cuba, and Syria are ignored. The third D is the test of deligitimation. Anti-Semites today are trying to deny the legitimacy of the Jewish state. (Jerusalem Post)
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Binghamton: Israeli PM's Spokesman Calls for Results by Liza Schwartz
A solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is possible, but it won't happen overnight, said Arnon Perlman, the chief spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, speaking at Binghamton last week. "There will be no peace, no solution, no agreement, no accord, no nothing as long as terror continues," he said. The U.S. backed "roadmap" peace plan was the main focus of Perlman's presentation. The plan begins with the cessation of Palestinian terror and moves gradually, but Palestinian inaction has prevented progress, Perlman said. (Pipe Dream)
Buffalo: Zionist Group Peaceably Crashes Film Showing, Debate by Eric O'Connor
In a passionate and personal debate, two UB organizations went toe-to-toe last week in defense of their respective viewpoints on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The reason for the gathering was a showing of the film "Jenin Jenin." Eight members of UB's chapter of the Zionist Organization of America showed up to illuminate alleged factual errors in the movie and to defend Israel. (Spectrum)
Columbia: Zionist Group Netzach Yisrael Offers a Far Right Political Forum by Sofi Thanhauser
A new Hillel student group, Netzach Yisrael or Eternal Israel, voted into existence just last week, has sparked controversy over its pro-Israel politics. Ben Silver, CC '06 founded Netzach Yisrael in response to what he saw as a need for a forum for students with views farther to the political right. (Spectator)
Cornell: Government Professor Speaks About Israeli Barrier by Andrew Beckwith
Prof. Jeremy Rabkin spoke at an event sponsored by the Cornell-Israel Public Affairs Committee about a case that has been presented to the International Court of Justice regarding the barrier that is being constructed on Israel's West Bank. "The Court and its predecessors have never addressed a conflict between two parties unless both of them agree to submit their dispute and that has very obvious basis, which is, there is no point ordering a country to do something if they don't say they're willing to be bound by this," he said. (Daily Sun)
Harvard: Dershowitz Advises Israel on Wall Dispute by Andrew Esensten
"I advised the Israeli government not to become involved in the case at all since it's an 'Alice in Wonderland' legal proceeding," said Alan Dershowitz, professor of law at Harvard Law School. "The General Assembly already declared the fence illegal and they're just sending it to this court for a rubber stamp," said Dershowitz. Israel maintains that the purpose of the barrier is to prevent Palestinian suicide bombers from entering the Jewish state and therefore conforms to the legal definition of "self-defense." (Crimson)
Iowa: Profile of an Activist by Deidre Bello
Avi Stramer thinks about Israel, his birthplace. As tensions between Israelis and Palestinians reignited in 2000, so too did Stramer's passion to enlighten himself and others about the beauty of Israeli culture. "Israel is not a terrible place. It has a beautiful culture and is really interesting. There are a lot of good things about it that people don't know." Stramer, who grew up in Iowa City, is the president of Hawkeyes for Israel. (Press-Citizen)
Maryland: Sheikh Takes on Terrorism by Cristina Abello
Sheikh Professor Abdul Hadi Palazzi, a Muslim official and scholar, stressed that democracy and cooperation are crucial to defeating terrorism in a speech at Maryland University. Palazzi is secretary general of the Italian Muslim Association. Concerning the Arab-Israel conflict, Palazzi said many Arab governments and Muslim extremists promote terrorism and refuse to use peaceful methods. (Diamondback)
See also Rutgers: Imam Speaks on Diversity by Nick Sevillis
Imam Abdul Hadi Palazzi expressed to students that it is possible to be a Muslim scholar and leader and still support America, Israel and democracy. (Daily Targum)
See also Texas: Vocal Sheikh Supports Israel by Tessa Moll
Palazzi, a self-proclaimed "Muslim Zionist," praised the Bush Administration for the removal of Saddam Hussein and offered support of the Israeli state at the University last week. (Daily Texan)
Purdue: Project Respect Offers Diversity Presentations by Nicole Arias
The goal of Project Respect, a program created through the collaboration of 15 Purdue organizations, is to increase awareness of diversity on campus. One event last week, "Gay Rights in Israeli Military and Israeli Society," results from collaboration between the Israel Council at Purdue and Queer Resource. "They are quite advanced in Israel," said Maria Wainer, director of Hillel. "People will be impressed and surprised at their level of acceptance." (Exponent)
Wisconsin: Hillel Brings Israeli Films to Madison by Ben Schultz
The Israeli film festival includes five full-length films from Israel and a compilation of student films from students at the Ma'ale School in Jerusalem. The films have collectively acquired 24 Israeli Academy Awards. The films bring an abundance of perspectives of Israel and present sides of the nation that are not seen on the news. The films don't ignore pressing issues of the Jewish state, and provide more complex portraits of Israel than just the tensions with Palestinians. (Daily Cardinal)
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Does Birthright Israel Actually Work? by Frances Kraft
Proponents of Birthright, a free 10-day trip for young Jewish adults from 18 to 26 years old, say its impact on participants is huge. Compared to their peers who have not been to Israel, Birthright Israel alumni feel more positive toward Israel and see it as being more central, said Len Saxe, a Birthright Israel researcher. They are also "much more likely" to join their campus Hillel group, to attend religious services, and/or to take Jewish studies courses, even more than a year after returning home.
(Canadian Jewish News)
UC-Santa Barbara: Israeli Struggle Inspires the U.S. by Joey Tartakovsky
Ten times as many Chechens and nearly 1,000 times as many Congolese have died than in Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip combined. Strange then, that so many know the basics of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, yet so few can even point out on a map where the Chechens live or say why militias are warring at present in the Congo. This betrays the fact that the fixation with Israel has little to do with humble concerns about human rights and peace - as many claim it does - for if that were the case, urgency and moral responsibility would direct their gaze elsewhere. (Daily Nexus)
Stanford: Deir Yassin Massacre Is Not the Cause of the Arab Exodus by David Meir-Levi
During the 40 years of the conflict from 1948 to the mid-1980s, Arab propaganda focused exclusively on one putative massacre: Deir Yassin. To whatever degree Deir Yassin may have been a motivator in Arab flight, it was not the events of Deir Yassin that caused panic. Rather, it was the lies invented by Arab leadership about Deir Yassin that caused panic. The great tragedy for the Arabs of the area is that so many have come to believe the lies and to refuse the offer of peace that Israel has reiterated many times over. Peace begins with trust. Trust begins with truth. (Stanford Daily)
Israel and Jordan Cooperate in Desert Project by Greg Myre
Israel and Jordan have agreed to build an environmental studies center on their shared desert border, officials said Tuesday. The countries will donate a total of 150 acres of parched land along the frontier, about 30 miles south of the Dead Sea. A private group, Bridging the Rift, will develop the center with two American universities, Cornell and Stanford. (New York Times)
Nebraska: Middle Eastern Musician Speaks of Peace Through Sound by Tessa Jeffers
In an unstable world, one facet in life remains fairly constant in that a common ground of appreciation can be found by any individual: music. Yair Dalal, a Middle Eastern musician from Jaffa, Israel, plans to bring a message of peace to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He described his music as Judeo-Arabic inspired music from the Middle East. (Daily Nebraskan)
Southern Idaho: Man Among Boys: Former Israeli Army 1st Sgt. Leads by Example by Kevin Colbert
Dani Hazut, a native of Israel served in the Israeli Army for a mandatory three years. The training Hazut received in the military has made him a more mature man, a trait that has paid dividends on the basketball floor and rubbed off on his younger teammates. Hazut is averaging 8.7 points per game and dished out 74 assists this season, a 2.64 average. (Twin Fall Times-News)
Villanova Ambushes Connecticut One More Time
The Villanova Wildcats knocked off the top-ranked Huskies, 59-56, before 6,500. The loss ended UConn's winning streak at 12 games. UConn was done in by its own ineffectiveness and by Liad Suez, a sophomore from Israel who shot 8-for-8 in the second half, when she scored 20 of her 23 points. (Newsday)
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 - If the Wall Must Be Built, Where Should It Be Built? | | Israel's Fence is No Crime, But It Runs a Dubious Line
by Amos Oz
- Building a wall or a fence between enemies may or may not be a mistake, but a crime it is not, and therefore it doesn't belong in a court.
- I believe that building a fence between two violent enemies is not a bad idea on one condition: that the fence must be built between my garden and the garden of my neighbor and not in the middle of my neighbor's garden.
- I'm against the location of this fence. I think it's wrong to build it in the middle of the Palestinian territories.
- I always maintained that the house of Israel and Palestine must be divided into two smaller apartments - one for the Israelis and one for the Palestinians. But this can be achieved only through negotiations and compromises and not through a criminal court and not through blood and violence.
- A wall or a fence is not a substitute for negotiations. It is high time for Ariel Sharon and Yasser Arafat to start talking to each other. (Los Angeles Times)
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Israel's Anti-Terror Fence: The World Court Case
by Laurence E. Rothenberg and Abraham Bell
- The security fence is a necessary and proportional response to a campaign of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes by Palestinians.
- If the fence were built along the 1949 armistice line (the "green line"), it would not achieve Israel's legitimate security goal of protecting its citizens.
- The "green line" from 1949 bounding the West Bank is solely a defunct military line demarcating the extent of the Transjordanian invasion of Israel in 1948. Indeed, at the insistence of Syria, Egypt, and Jordan, each of the armistice agreements of 1949 specified that the ceasefire lines were not borders and that neither side relinquishes its territorial claims.
- A barrier along the armistice line would expose motorists along the main Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway to Palestinian sniper fire near the Latrun salient and would recreate the division of Jerusalem that existed from 1949 to 1967, when Israeli civilians were repeatedly attacked by snipers from the Jordanian-controlled side of the line.
- Additionally, this would expose Israeli civilian aircraft landing and taking off from Israel's international airport in Lod to shoulder-launched missile attacks from Palestinian terrorists in the Benjamin region of the West Bank. (Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs)
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